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On life’s long list of things we take for granted, you can add your chest wall. If you are like most people, you never give a second thought to this structural part of your anatomy that defines your upper torso.  But at Rockland Thoracic & Vascular Associates, we think about it a lot. Our experts specialize in keeping your […]

Despite the evidence about the dangers of smoking, more than 34 million people still light up. If you’re one of them, you probably know that smoking fills your lungs with tar-like soot and increases your risk for heart disease and lung cancer, but you may not realize what smoke does to your veins. In this blog, our team […]

Whatever caused your lung failure — disease, cancer, injury, COPD, or ARDS — you dodged a potentially life-threatening situation and are now undergoing treatment.  At Rockland Thoracic & Vascular Associates, we’re known throughout New York and New Jersey as the premier treatment facility for all types of lung failure. Our team of experienced, board-certified specialists uses the most advanced technology and […]

Your kidneys are two powerhouse organs located in your lower back region on either side of your spine. They work nonstop filtering your blood and removing toxins, which they then pass along to your bladder so you can urinate them away.  If your kidneys falter or fail, the situation can become life-threatening very quickly. Fortunately, […]

It’s hard to understand how some people can smoke several packs of cigarettes a day for years and never get lung cancer, but people who’ve never smoked can develop this insidious disease.  When it comes to lung cancer, we look at your risk factors to determine your likelihood of getting the disease. Risk factors are circumstances, […]

Each time your heart beats, it pumps freshly oxygenated blood to your chest and torso, where it connects with other arteries and carries it to your organs and throughout the rest of your body.  It’s an efficient system when all the arteries are healthy, but if you have hypertension, high cholesterol, or atherosclerosis, your aortic […]

Your esophagus is like a laundry chute, except instead of dirty clothes, the chute transports food and liquids. This seemingly simple part of your anatomy is prone to several conditions, most of which call for professional medical attention to avoid malnutrition and other complications. Our team of specialists at Rockland Thoracic & Vascular Associates treats a wide spectrum […]

Blood clots are bad, and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is the worst kind. Hidden where you can’t see it, DVT may not present any symptoms, so you can walk around with DVT and never know it until it causes life-threatening problems. Fortunately, deep vein thrombosis is treatable and even preventable. The more you know about […]

Struggling to get air is frightening, and if you have emphysema, it may be a daily battle. Although emphysema can strike anyone, it’s primary cause is smoking.  You can also get it if you’ve been exposed to secondhand smoke, fumes or dust at work, and pollutants, such as automotive exhaust or heating fuel. Over time, breathing […]

Acid reflux can happen to anyone. An overindulgent dinner, stress, lying down immediately after eating a large meal — these can all cause acid from your stomach to push back up into your esophagus.  If it happens frequently (two or more times per week), you may have acid reflux disease or the more severe version, […]